


Simple Sapling

by Squishiez



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Anxiety, BillDip, Billdip Big Bang, Billdipbigbang2018, Captain!Bill, F/M, Fluff, Gideon is a jerk, LGBT, M/M, Mabel is a great sister, Pirate AU, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 08:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14492802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squishiez/pseuds/Squishiez
Summary: His sister, Mabel, claimed it was true love. He had argued against it at first. It was a ridiculous thought. Though, now that he was looking at the beautiful atmosphere of the ocean and the beautiful skies, he began to think it over. Maybe, just maybe, he was in love with the captain.





	Simple Sapling

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This story is written for the BillDip Big Bang! I am so lucky to be apart of this! I'm even luckier to have Taducky as my partner! She is amazing! Check out her tumblr right here: https://taducky.tumblr.com

Staring off into the sunset was something that a boy named Dipper Pines found himself doing quite often, after a day's hard work. He was no pirate. He was just a boy who cleaned and helped out all around the ship. The pirates of the ship were nice to him. It wasn't like he was unhappy or anything, he was the one volunteered to be on the ship. He had to. It wasn't like he had anything else to do anyways. After the passing of his Grunkles he was quite upset and so was Mabel, his sister.   
  
When the Pirates invaded the town of Gravity Falls, Dipper had felt like it was his lucky day. The Pirates had money, they could take care of him, if he did what he was told, and did what he was told was what he did. He was slowly becoming one of the favorites of the ship. The Pirates appreciated his company and even laughed when he told jokes or listened to the brunette when he told stories. It had seemed like things were going his way, but that soon changed.   
  
The captain of the ship was named Bill Cipher, at least that's what he told everyone. No one knew what his real name could be. Though, his name wasn't the problem not even close.   
  
After being on the ship for so long, Dipper Pines had grown infatuated with the beautiful blonde captain that ran the group of mischievous sea bandits. There was just something about him that was so captivating to the boy. He didn't seem to understand it himself. Every time Captain Cipher would pass, Dipper would have to stop in his tracks and get a good look. Maybe it was just an appearance thing but Dipper was starting to doubt that. Because it wasn't only when he seen him but When Bill would speak, Dipper would find himself entranced.   
  
He no longer talked as much. He kept to himself. Dipper feared that his secret would spew from his mouth by accident one day. So, only Mabel talked to people. Now he developed a fear of the the pirates not liking him that much anymore.   
  
His sister, Mabel, claimed it was true love. He had argued against it at first. It was a ridiculous thought. Though, now that he was looking at the beautiful atmosphere of the ocean and the beautiful skies, he began to think it over. Maybe, just maybe, he was in love with the captain.   
  
He sighed as he stared even deeper into the beautiful shades of the sky. It wasn't like it mattered. He was just some measly cleaner of the crew. Surely, Bill would rather wed to another pirate or some beautiful woman that he'd find on shore. The blonde would never fall for someone like him.   
  
It was all ridiculous.   
  
Still.   
  
He smiled.   
  
_ 'That doesn't mean I still can't admire him!' _

* * *

__  
__  
Cleaning the pirates clothes was a pesky task but Dipper and his sister knew better than to complain about it. Doing their work like told was very beneficial to the two. The captain and his men actually treated the two with favoritism. Though, the group of pirates seemed to be drawn to Mabel instead. No one really talked to him ever since he became infatuated with Bill, because the brunette was to fearful to speak, but he was still treated equally to her from the Pirates.   
  
Except for one.   
  
Gideon Gleeful.   
  
The brunette didn't even know why he was a pirate on the ship. He claimed to Bill that he had psychic abilities but surely the captain saw through it. So, why? Why keep a burden who offered no benefits? Dipper was merely apart of the cleaning crew and he offered more than that man did, whom was a pirate!   
  
Both twins rolled their eyes when the chubbier man walked into their laundry area.   
  
"Well, Well, Well! The two coolest people in the same room!"   
  
He pointed at Mabel, who simply scoffed.   
  
"You!"   
  
He then proceeded to point to himself.   
  
"And Me!"   
  
Dipper rolled his eyes. It wasn't even a surprise. Gideon had done it before. He must have been running out of greetings to degrade the brunette with. He didn't understand why Gideon couldn't just leave them alone. The other pirates didn't bother him very much; they were actually quite polite to him. So, he never really had the need to shoo one of them off. Gideon, of course was a different story.   
  
He sat on a nearby chest and watched; a small sneer on his face. The man looked quite smug and Dipper made sure to avoid eye contact. It would only anger him to look, and he didn't want to get in trouble. The pirates respected him and his sister but the two were still below everyone else. He was sure he'd get in trouble for yelling at Gideon. So, he pretended he wasn't even there.   
  
Besides, he hadn't done anything dramatic yet. If he did anything to insult Mabel, then Dipper would react. He was sure if he explained the situation, he wouldn't get penalized that much. Probably just no dessert for a few weeks.   
  
Bill could be a harsh man to those who opposed him. Though, to the twins, he was quite accepting of their faults. Dipper had gotten in trouble once since his time on the ship, and Bill had been quite merciful on him. All he did was make sure Dipper got more chores than Mabel did for a few days, and they were nothing major. It was nice to see that Bill was not hard on those who couldn't handle it or deserve it all that much. He was a respectful captain, despite having insane tendencies.   
  
"Dipper can you get me more water? The clothes seem to be dirtier than ever after the last raid!" Mabel asked. Her voice sounded a bit annoyed. There was a few factors to that. The extra work of exterminating the filth and Gideon being in their presence.   
  
Dipper nodded, standing up from the wooden floor that often gave him splinters.   
  
He turned himself around, ready to fetch some clean water but he was shocked to see a certain blonde in the doorway, a wide smile on his face, as if he was satisfied with himself. The brunette observed the captain and noticed there was a large wooden bucket of water in his arms, it was twice the size of the singular buckets they currently had. How he managed to carry it was a mystery to everyone.   
  
"No need, Shooting Star! Got some water for the both of ya!" He walked in, plopping the water down between the two twins, a few water droplets escaping from its container, landing on the floor.   
  
"Thank you, Captain!" Mabel smiled appreciatively before looking at Dipper, a teasing look in her eye, causing the boy to redden in the face at the motion. He already knew she was going to tease him once everyone left the room. He already felt embarrassed and his sister hadn't even said anything to him yet.   
  
"Pinetree, you okay there? Ya look a bit red, fever, p'haps?" Bill asked, his accent coming out a bit. The man was very brilliant but he always preferred to use slang. He had told Mabel it just suited him and it wasted less time, usually. It was just natural for him. Giving them weird nicknames was natural too.   
  
Though, Dipper was not even focusing or caring of Cipher's accent. Not at all. He was too focused on trying to calm down and come up with a quick response but he found himself speechless. His throat felt so dry and words were spinning around in his head wildly.   
  
Mabel looked distressed as Bill raised an eyebrow at the boy's lack of response. She was frantic and knew she had to help. All she needed was Dipper to have a panic attack in front of their captain, nor have him reveal himself in such an awkward way. Besides, she wasn't scared of Bill at all. They didn't talk too often but when they did, when Mabel was done with chores, they'd crack each other up. He was a funny man and she might have considered him a friend.   
  
"He's sick! Being on land for a few days and then coming back on the ship again has him ready to throw up!" She exclaimed, her voice loud and dramatic as she told her short and simple story.   
  
It was a good lie because Bill believed her or at least pretended he did.   
  
"Poor, Saplin'!" He frowned. "Star, help him finish his pile of clothes. After you're done, no need to clean or swab the deck today if he's ill."   
  
He was gone after that, and Mabel felt better than ever! The two of them could get laundry done fairly quick with the new water and then, they could do whatever they wanted! They could finally get that bonding time they always wanted. She found herself getting all giddy inside.   
  
Dipper looked at her, the thankful look in his eyes did not got unnoticed.   
  
"You really saved me ba-" He started but didn't get to finish as Gideon cleared his throat. Being in Bills presence made him forget all about Gideon, which was not a good thing.   
  
Gideon was the last person he'd want to let his guard down around.   
  
"What was that all about, Dipper? You seem to be just fine now tha Cap'n isn't in the room anymore." He said slyly, stroking his chin as if he had any sort of hair there. Though, the man had quite a baby face, there wasn't a hair on his chin. Still, his words were intimidating, and threatening towards the brunette. Dipper was once again speechless, he felt his face heat up again, and he was beginning to sweat.   
  
Oh no.   
  
He couldn't allow Gideon to fully understand what was going on with him. It would be a never-ending nightmare if he were to find out. If the powder-white haired pirate found out about Dipper's predicament, what would he do? Would he blackmail the brunette? Tell on him? Torture him? He wasn't sure but he never wanted to find out.   
  
"Leave my brother alone, he has a high fever and doesn't need to deal with any unnecessary drama!" She shouted, glaring at the pirate and his face turned cold, most likely angry that Mabel was choosing him over Gideon like always.   
  
Rejection hurt, but Dipper knew Gideon had to get over it, he was acting like a child who's parents rejected his request to buy a new toy, it was kind of ridiculous. Mabel didn't even like guys, she had a girlfriend back in their home town of Gravity Falls. She had been taken for about three years by a beautiful blonde, awaiting her return patiently. So, Mabel didn't have any hookups on her to do list. Besides, Mabel hated how Dipper was treated by him.    
  
She was a good sister.   
  
"Drama? Not at all, honey-pie! I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with poor Mason!" Gideon exclaimed. Though, it was quite obvious he was being sarcastic, causing Mabel's eyes to turn colder. Dipper would hate to be the one receiving that look. Mabel looked beyond frustrated with the pirate across the room.   
  
Dipper was a little frustrated too. If Gideon knew, it was all over. Plus, the man had used his real name, which always aggravated the the brunette.   
  
"Noth- Nothing is wrong. I just feel a bit dizzy." He lied. He stammered over his words a bit, he was always awkward, but being put under pressure made it even worse. He could barely spit that sentence out correctly. Then again, him messing up his words helped make it seem like he was actually not feeling well.   
  
Though, it also could be seen as him stuttering over his crush like a teenage girl over her favorite artist. It seemed like no matter what he did, he couldn't get Gideon's attention off of him. What was he supposed to do? Gideon was already raising an eyebrow at him before he even brought his response.   
  
Dipper wanted nothing more than to quickly run out of the room, but he knew that would be too suspicious. Mabel must have felt the same, because she was cleaning even faster than she had before, almost too fast for a human being. He feared she'd put giant holes in everyone's clothing. Then again, most of their clothes already had a bunch. The pirates just couldn't stay out of fights, him and Mabel should really sew some things up at a later point in the week.   
  
"I don't know, Pines. I think something is wrong with that little ol' head of yours." He paused, a big grin spreading across his face. "I think it has to do with Cipher too."   
  
Mabel was fuming.   
  
"Get out, Gideon!" She stood up, throwing the cloth in her hand into one of the buckets of water. Dipper had never seen his sister so furious. "You don't even have a reason to be in here! So, get out!"   
  
Let's just say, Mabel was pretty good at chasing people out of a room.

* * *

  
  
Finishing the laundry after that didn't take very much. The two were shaken, but managed to tidy up faster than usual. They just wanted to go rest up, so they made sure not to take their time. Besides, Mabel was exhausted after ranting about Gideon while they were cleaning the whole time.   
  
So, when they opened up the door to the laundry room, and out of the cleaning part of the ship, they thought they would be relieved to smell the fresh, salty, air that the sea offered. Though, when they opened up the door, something felt wrong. Tense even. Dipper felt a lump forming in his throat, he felt sweaty again. Deep down he knew something big was about to happen. He wasn't a narcissist or anything, but he felt that it involved him. It was no question.   
  
With Gideon in the middle of the small crowd, Dipper already knew what was going to happen   
  
I'm going to get thrown off the ship.. They're going to think I'm a weirdo!   
  
Mabel could sense her brother's panic and reached to squeeze his hand in comfort. He looked at her and gave her a weak smile, appreciative that he at least had her.   
  
"There he is!"   
  
When everyone turned their heads to look at him, Mabel instinctively took a step forward, in front of him, almost blocking him from the view of everyone else. She kept her eyes hard, and didn't let not one ounce of fear show within her. She almost looked like a pirate herself!   
  
"Someone explain! Why are you dumbos talking about my bro-bro!?" She shouted, and Gideon scoffed.   
  
"My dear, Mabel, you must understand. Your brother is weak. Falling for our Cap'n? That's the worst thing you can do as part of the crew."   
  
Dipper couldn't breathe. He just said that in front of everyone. They knew. He felt sick. He had tried to hide it for so long. He had never expected himself to react in such a way in front of Gideon, or anyone that was wasn't his sister. He knew he messed up, and he knew he was going to pay. Though, as he looked around, Bill was nowhere in sight. He wasn't around. He hadn't heard.   
  
Still, everyone else on the ship had. There was no way that not one person would tell Bill. He may have been safe from Bill's wrath for that second, but he knew that second of safety would soon be demolished. Besides, all because he was safe from Bill, didn't mean the other pirates wouldn't react in a violent way.   
  
He was terrified.   
  
"You're pathetic, Pines. Your sister knows it too, that's why she won't let you fend for yourself."   
  
The words did hit Dipper pretty hard. Did he look like a coward, he would ask himself.   
  
He did.   
  
So, he swallowed a lump in his throat, his adam's apple bobbing at the motion. He took a few steps forward, so that Mabel was now behind him. She whispered in protest but he had to ignore it. He couldn't let her get in trouble for him. Besides, he was already in trouble, it couldn't get any worse for him. There was no point in dragging her down with him.   
  
Dipper was scared, definitely. though, he allowed himself to look Gideon right in his irises with a small smile.   
  
"You're right, I'm definitely pathetic, and depend on my sister a lot, but," He paused, trying to keep a small chuckle down. "I don't need her help when it comes to you, Gideon. You're the real coward. You ran straight for the rest of the crew, as if they were your bodyguards, man. You really couldn't take on a wimpy cleaner all by yourself?"   
  
The other pirates looked at Dipper and then back at Gideon. The brunette had a point. Dipper watched as Gideon's face practically glowed red, he half expected the silver haired pirate to run at him and attack, but instead, a voice spoke up, a familiar one.   
  
"He's right you know. I doubt captain would choose a coward over someone who praises him. I really don't think you want to snitch on the boy." It was Pyronica.   
  
Pyronica was actually one of Bill's first recruits, at least that's what she had told him. She was one of the only female pirates he had seen, but she was definitely one of the best pirates he had ever saw. He knew she could easily take him out if she wanted to. Though, he wasn't scared of her. The two were actually quite close. They didn't talk as much after he closed himself off, but she was a loyal friend, and well respected in that category. She didn't hold grudges.   
  
He felt so appreciative of her. Someone besides Mabel was actually on his side. It felt nice.   
__  
__ "They'll be no reas'n for anyone to snitch on dear saplin'. I heard everything"   
  
Dipper froze where he stood. There was a voice coming from up above, where the ship's flags blew. Everyone looked up, a bit of yellow caught all their eyes, before it came closer down, forming a body. The figure had jumped down, and landed in between the crew of pirates, and the two twins. Dipper had already knew it was Cipher. Though, the confirmation made him sick again.   
  
Had he heard everything they all spoke?   
  
"Pr'pare to land the next opportunity we can." The captain spoke, not knowing what his reaction, made Dipper shake in fear, he was terrified. Why did they need to land? Was he going to execute hm in front of the nearest town?   
  
The blonde took a few steps forward, until he was face to face with Dipper, he cupped the boy's cheek, causing everyone on the ship to gasp, and left Dipper beyond confused at the motion. He was expecting pain, but he got nothing but comfort.   
  
"I wish to take my saplin' to land, get a bite to eat, and a new wardrobe too." He sent Dipper a wink, before releasing his face.   
  
"Of course, captain!" Pyronica shouted, she seemed delighted.   
  
Dipper was confused, what was going on?   
  
"So, I'm not getting thrown overboard?" He asked.   
  
Bill raised a brow, he seemed perplexed by the words, and his expression showed it quite well. His face scrunched up, before he chuckled. Dipper found his cheeks becoming a soft pink. He couldn't help it. Bill's laugh was something that he always adored to hear and it happening mere inches away from his face, was something that couldn't be described. The feeling in his chest was new.   
  
His heart was beating faster than ever.   
  
"Ya expect me to throw a pretty face off my ship? I don't think so, Pines." Bill smirked. "Now, how would ya like to go to dinner with me?"


End file.
